Lakeland Travel Information
Lakeland, a tropical water world, is composed of 38 named lakes and numerous smaller ones. The smallest lake in the city is Lake Blanton (2.5 acres); the biggest is Lake Parker (2272 acres). With water all around, it’s no wonder that water sports are favored here. According to Money Magazine, Lakeland is the 10th best place to live in America. Recently, it has undergone extensive renovation that has transformed it from blah to wow. The downtown area consists of a charming Historic District flanked by restaurants, shops, galleries and 175 churches. At the core of town is Lake Mirror Park, which is currently under reconstruction plans for a new amphitheater and pedestrian walkways. Lakeland is close to all the major attractions, but it has some interesting points of its own. The Historic Bok Sanctuary, a 157-acre garden perched on Florida’s highest geographical point has a nature preserve and walking trail and is host to many wonderful concerts. And the Sun ’n Fun Fly is an extraordinary week-long aviation workshop at the regional airport. Thousands of flying buffs flock here each year, making it the largest event of its kind in the world and the site of exciting air shows that electrify the skies throughout the area. In its 50 municipal parks, Lakeland offers a tremendous array of sporting facilities. Boating and fishing, of course, are at the top of the list. There are a variety of other activities such as baseball, hiking, skating, golf and tennis that keep the active crowd happy. For folks who are more comfortable warming the bleachers than participating in sports, there are all sorts of spectator games. The best bets in town are the Detroit Tigers, who come to Lakeland for spring training, and Lakeland’s USA International Speedway stock car racing. Lakeland is an alluring small town located mid-way between Tampa and Orlando on Interstate 4.
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